Employees hand-finish cheesecakes on the production line at Eli’s. Deb Amos/NPR hide caption toggle caption Deb Amos/NPR Employees hand-finish cheesecakes on the production line at Eli’s. Deb Amos/NPR In Chicago, war refugees have a hand in the city’s most famous handmade cheesecake. “People who come as refugees have great skills,” says Marc Schulman, the president

Family members and friends carry a coffin containing the remains of Ayhan Akin, one of the nightclub shooting victims in Sunday’s attack in Istanbul, Turkey. AP hide caption toggle caption AP Family members and friends carry a coffin containing the remains of Ayhan Akin, one of the nightclub shooting victims in Sunday’s attack in Istanbul,

Jasper Barnett, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., looks up in the school’s planetarium. Elissa Nadworny/NPR hide caption toggle caption Elissa Nadworny/NPR Jasper Barnett, a junior at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va., looks up in the school’s planetarium. Elissa Nadworny/NPR The

Two graduate students at the University of Kentucky accused their adviser of sexual assault. They reported it to the Title IX office, but before a hearing could be held the professor resigned. Andy Lyons/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Andy Lyons/Getty Images Two graduate students at the University of Kentucky accused their adviser of sexual

Fifteen tons of elephant tusks are set on fire during an anti-poaching ceremony at Nairobi National Park in Nairobi, Kenya in March 2015. Conservationists say a pledge by China to stop the ivory trade is a possible game-changer in the struggle to curb the slaughter of elephants.(AP Photo/Khalil Senosi-File) Khalil Senosi/AP hide caption toggle caption

Barack Obama signs the Affordable Care Act in the East Room of the White House in Washington on March 23, 2010. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP Barack Obama signs the Affordable Care Act in the East Room of the White House in Washington on March 23, 2010. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

MICHEL MARTIN, BYLINE: OK, so a glass of something special is one New Year’s Eve tradition some people observe along with fireworks, watching the crystal ball drop on New York’s Times Square, maybe a midnight kiss or two. But that got us to wondering. What about New Year’s traditions in other parts of the world?

MICHEL MARTIN, BYLINE: We’re going to continue our reflections on 2016 by taking a few minutes to talk about some of the big international stories of the year. There’s a lot to think about, from the Syrian refugee crisis to the terrorist attacks in many parts of the world, to the shocking decision by the

First aid officers carry an injured woman at the site of an armed attack on Sunday in Istanbul. At least 35 people were killed in an armed attack Saturday on an Istanbul nightclub where people were celebrating the New Year. IHLAS NEWS AGENCY/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption IHLAS NEWS AGENCY/AFP/Getty Images First aid officers

It’s unusual for Britain’s Prime Minister to criticize a U.S. Secretary of State — but it seems that Theresa May is attempting to distance herself from the Obama administration ahead of the change in government. Frank Augstein/AP hide caption toggle caption Frank Augstein/AP It’s unusual for Britain’s Prime Minister to criticize a U.S. Secretary of

A dock is seen at a recreational compound owned by the Russian government near Centreville, Maryland on Thursday. The U.S. government said the facility was used “for intelligence-related purposes.” Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images A dock is seen at a recreational compound owned by the Russian government near Centreville, Maryland

Milo Yiannopoulos, a conservative columnist and Internet personality, confirmed that he has a book deal with Simon Schuster, saying on his Facebook page: “They said banning me from Twitter would finish me off. Just as I predicted, the opposite has happened.” Drew Angerer/Getty Images hide caption toggle caption Drew Angerer/Getty Images Milo Yiannopoulos, a conservative